The Danish Griffin: The Wreck of an Early Modern Royal Carvel from 1495

Abstract

In the waters of the Southern Baltic, off the island of Stora Ekön, lies the wreck of a ship lost in 1495 belonging to King John (Hans) of Denmark (1455–1513). This paper draws on the archaeological investigation of the site since 2013 and summarizes previous archaeological and historical research. In its design, construction, and weapons technology the ship is both a rare example of a large carvel-built ‘great ship’ from the final phase of the Middle Ages and, in its role as floating embassy, a manifestation of socio-political processes of change that transitioned medieval Europe to a global, maritime world.